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March 4, 2018

Homestyle Quiche with Sun Dried Tomato & Tofu

Pie oh my is an expression that runs deep in our household. For as long as I can remember I have loved any kind of crust-bearing baked goods be it a quiche, tart, pie or flan. Like most, my penchant for pie (and similar baked goods) comes down to the crust whether it’s of the single or double variety 😉. Give me a stellar crust that’s golden, crispy and flaky (even with rhubarb pie filling) and I’m in. When it comes to cooking adventures with pie (and the like) truth be told I’ve been cheating since the kids were born and going crustless(shhhh). Without a stand mixer and strapped for time between juggling family and work demands homemade pie crusts haven’t exactly been a regular in the Lamontagne household – until now. Today I’m thrilled to share my recipe for Homestyle Quiche with Sun Dried Tomato & Tofu.

Armed with the ultimate in kneading performance (thanks to my Thermomix) and more balanced work-life demands I see more crust-filled days ahead 😆. Thanks to its creamy texture and absorbent quality, tofu also makes it possible for many quiche-filled days on the horizon as well ☺. This recipe for Homestyle Quiche with Sun-Dried Tomato & Tofu marries a delicious, buttery-tasting pie crust with a creamy egg-like filling made with a blend of silken and firm tofu, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella cheese. The secret to the delicious pie crust? Red palm oil (sustainably-sourced of course). If you haven’t heard of it you’re not alone. Red palm oil is a plant-based oil that is derived from the red, fleshy fruit of the palm tree. Its distinctive red-gold colour comes from carotenes (including beta-carotene/vitamin A)—the same carotenes which give carrots and tomatoes their distinctive red hue. Before developing this recipe my research showed that red palm oil is ideal for creating flaky baked goods. While I was taken aback by the colour at first glance I was delightfully surprised how crispy and flaky this pie crust turned out to be. Using a simple blend of red palm oil and Earth Balance vegan butter is a gem of a combination not to mention how striking the crust’s red hue is.

Truth be told the colour of the red palm oil-based crust is what inspired me to use sun-dried tomatoes as a hero ingredient in the quiche filling (I was actually leaning toward a more Indian-fusion recipe). When I blended the half-and-half mixture of silken tofu and medium-firm tofu with rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil the egg-like filling turned a gorgeous hue of ‘red moon’ that complemented the crust perfectly. The sweet cherry tomatoes and basil-cane sugar topping balance the savoury filling as well making this quiche a huge hit with the whole family. I recommend baking the pie crust “blind” (without filling) and letting it cool ahead of baking with the sun-dried tomato and tofu filling. Also, be sure to vent the crust before baking to prevent it from becoming too ‘pillowy’.

Thanks to this recipe my “crustless’ days are sure to be a thing of the past in our household. If you get a chance to make this I would love to hear your feedback/suggestions. For other crust lovin’ meals check out our Harvest Style Pot Pie. If quiche is your wheelhouse why not try our Eggless Chickpea Frittata.

Recipe Notes

Note:Makes four small pie crusts or two large pie crusts.I recommend using half of this recipe for a single large crust (eg 8” x 13” dish)
Recipe inspired by Never Fail Pie Crust from Made Everyday with Dana

Pie Crust Instructions

2/Add butter and palm oil. Cut in the butter and oil using the Turbo setting: 4 pulses at 0.5 seconds.

3/In a small prep bowl whisk together the flax egg, apple cider vinegar and water. Add to the TM bowl. Knead for 45 seconds.

4/Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll the crust (from the middle out) until it’s approx 1 inch larger than the size of your baking dish. Transfer prepared crust to the baking dish and gently fit it in place (don’t pull or tug on the crust). Tuck the overhang under on the edge of the pan; pinch the edges (using your fingers) for a fancy finish. Important: Using the tines of a fork poke holes in the bottom of the crust.

5/Bake the pie crust ‘blind’ (without any filling) at 375F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and add a few additional holes in the bottom of the crust and/or vent any air pockets that form. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool before adding your filling.

Note: You may notice the sides of the dough may sag during baking. Be sure to touch up the edges at the 10 minute mark.
Tip: The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use (hooray!)

Product Recommendations

Daiya® Mozzarella Style Shreds (New Improved Cutting Board Edition)

Nutiva® Red Palm Oil (sustainably sourced and cruelty free)

Note: This recipe was made using a Thermomix appliance; however, it can easily be adapted using similar food prep tools (e.g. multi-function processor, immersion blender etc).